Beta Readers & Bulletin Boards
by CereuleanBlue
Summary: Fanfiction author and science teacher Edward Masen runs into his beta reader Bella Swan, literally. When the two of them are thrust together at work and in their personal lives, the relationship begins to change.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. I just mess around with it and make the characters fit the stupid stuff that goes on in my head from time to time.

A/N: Ok, so when I saw the Awkward Challenge, it made me think of a friend of mine who used to write fanfic, so this one is dedicated to he who shall not be named. Hugs and kisses to Britpacksuccubus, God's gift to fanfic kind, and much love to my wifey Danell (just because I can.).

-x-x-x-

"Hey soul sister, Ain't that mister, mister on the radio, stereo? The way you move ain't fair you know."

~Train

-x-x-x-

Edward Masen sat at the foot of his tiny single bed tapping furiously at the keys of his laptop computer perched precariously on his knees. He paused, momentarily, to push his wire rimmed glasses back up on his nose where they had begun to slip down, before returning to the familiarly worn keys. The room around him was scrupulously clean and devoid of any furniture save the bed, a dresser, and a small night stand that held a lamp and an alarm clock.

The bed beneath him was covered in a blue and green plaid comforter, smoothed evenly over the expanse of the mattress. It moved slightly as he shifted his weight, sliding backwards to rest his back against the pillows. He continued pounding away at the keys until a shrill ding from the computer drew his attention away from the document he had been typing into for nearly two hours.

He reached down to grab the cup of coffee that rested on the floor next to the bed before clicking the notification bubble that had popped up in the lower left hand corner of the screen. A chat window popped up.

_HellsBells: Morning, E, how's life?_

Edward quickly typed into the reply box and pressed the enter key.

_HPsEvilTwin: Alright, Bells. Finished w/that chap yet? U know I'm waiting with bated breath for it._

_HellsBells: U just can't wait 2 pull out the red marker & go all comma nazi on my poor lil fic, can u?_

He grinned cheezily before replying.

_HPsEvilTwin: Your poor lil fic hit 1000 reviews last week if I'm not mistaken._

_HellsBells: U R still a bully, E. Be nice to his chap plz. I ought to have ready 4 u tonite. You know I'm running a lil behind since I was moving this week. _

_HPsEvilTwin: No promises . . ._

_HellsBells: Fine then, taskmaster. I'll leave you to ur writing then. I'd better get to work on my own stuff TTYL_

_HPsEvilTwin: Acuatlly working on lesson plans rite now. Won't be able 2 write until tonite but TTYL._

Edward closed the chat window and pushed the computer off his lap to rest on the bed beside him, taking a long look around the small room. His gaze came to rest on the keys sitting on the night table which he quickly grabbed and pushed into the hip pocket of his jeans. He pulled down his white T-shirt that read "Better Living through Chemistry" in black block letters followed by the chemical structure of Viagra and ran one hand through his ruffled, too-long hair before heading for the door. He carefully entered the living room, picking his way across the detritus that littered the carpet.

His roommate Emmett was sitting on the couch with the XBOX controller in hand, all his attention focused on the _Call of Duty_ game playing on the big screen TV that occupied most of the wall in front of him. Edward looked disgustedly at the state of the room before kicking haphazardly at one of the many beer cans that lay strewn across the room.

"Hey, Em," he called as he reached the apartment's front door.

"Hmm," Emmett's focus never left the screen in front of him.

"You gotta clean this place up man. It's starting to get on my nerves," Edward nudged another can out of his path before reaching for the door handle.

"Yeah, yeah . . . You headed somewhere, Masen?" Emmett pushed two more cans off the coffee table in front of him as he lifted his feet to rest on it.

Edward shook his head, "Just going to Starbucks. Want anything?"

"Nah, man. That girly coffee shit is for fags. Have fun, princess." Emmett laughed heartily as Edward made his way out the door. Edward and Emmett had been roommates for the better part of a year, ever since Edward had taken a job as the Biology teacher at Port Angeles high school. Having to move out of his parents' house back in Forks on short notice to avoid an hour-long drive to work every day, he'd been forced to share an apartment with Emmett, an old high school acquaintance.

Their parents were old friends, but Emmett and Edward had never really been friends in school. Emmett had been one of the jocks, on the football and baseball teams every season, with the cheerleader girlfriend who still spent more than her fair share of time trying to suck the front of Emmett's face off. Edward had been captain of the Quiz Bowl team and a member of the Beta club, vice president in fact. Needless to say, they hadn't crossed paths often, even in a small place like Forks High School.

Edward had graduated from UW a half a year early with a double major in Biology and Chemistry and been offered the teaching position immediately upon completion. He began teaching in January and finished out the year, much to his and his assistant principal's surprise.

"You know the first year's always the toughest, right?" Jasper Hale, the assistant principal, had been encouraging from the start, and his mere presence seemed to have a calming effect on both the teachers and the students. It didn't hurt that Jasper was his oldest and best friend, despite their four year age difference. Edward didn't think he would have been able to survive the shock of taking over a class mid-stream the way he had without Jasper's support, and he found himself eager to return to the job the next year despite the difficulties he'd experienced with his students. The new school year began on Monday, and he had been busily preparing himself for the past week to get things off to a great start.

He definitely didn't want to have a repeat of the year before. Bells' only reply to his story of the student who decided to stick a pair of forceps into the electrical outlet had been ROFLMAO, and it had taken five minutes to get that much out of her. He imagined her literally rolling on the floor doubled over with laughter. Edward hadn't actually ever seen her face, but he'd imagined what she looked like on a regular basis, never coming up with the same mental image twice.

Edward had been her beta reader for six months now, ever since she contacted him on asking for help. He actually knew surprisingly little about her other than her user name and her penchant for Harry Potter fanfiction, especially those that involved a Harry/Hermione pairing. Her writing was good and getting better with every chapter that she sent his way. She had trained as a teacher as well, in fact she spent the past week moving to a new city apparently very far away from her original home in Phoenix, Arizona to take a teaching job that started next week. With the economy in the state it was in, any job was welcome.

His own story revolved around Cedric Diggory, and as he climbed out of his Volvo parked in the small lot behind the local Starbucks, he grabbed a notebook and pen from the bag stowed in the backseat and made his way through the glass door. Walking up to the counter, he considered his options for beverages before making his decision.

"Welcome to Starbucks, what can I get for you today?" the smiling girl behind the counter looked at him in a friendly manner, and he did the same as he placed his order.

"A grande Caramel Macchiato, please." He waited patiently at the counter as she prepared the drink for him. He Turned quickly to take a seat at his usual table in the quietest corner of the coffee shop, anxious to settle down to write. He didn't even notice her standing there until it was too late to avoid a collision, causing hot coffee to go flying into the air spilling down the front of his shirt and staining his notebook with large brown splotches. He had been moving so quickly that his momentum brought both of them crashing down to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Sorry," he immediately began untangling himself, not even bothering to look at her face in his embarrassment and haste to get out of an awkward situation.

"It's alright," she mumbled quietly, clambering to her feet and attempting to brush coffee from the front of her blue blouse. Edward quickly grabbed a handful of napkins and attempted to dry the liquid from her shirt without realizing he was also furiously rubbing his right hand across her left breast. When his brain finally registered what his hand was doing, he pulled it away; thrusting it into his pocket as he felt the blood rising rapidly to his cheeks.

"Sorry," he repeated, finally looking up to see her face. What he witnessed before him, made his heart crash into his stomach. The girl he had so gracefully knocked on her ass was a vision to behold. Even with her brown curls disheveled from the fall and her blouse covered in dark stains, she was beautiful, with a small heart-shaped face and large liquid, brown eyes that he could have drowned in. Her cheeks were covered with a blush that mirrored his own. "Really, I'm sorry. . . I should have . . . UGH . . ." The words stumbled from his lips incoherently. The only thing he could focus on was the way she nervously took her lower lip between her teeth, biting down gently.

Edward imagined those teeth biting down on his lower lip instead, her tongue gently caressing the tender skin there. His hands winding around her back and massaging her butt through the dark denim of her jeans, as their bodies pressed close together. He was so caught up in his fantasy that he barely noticed her speaking to him until she touched his shoulder gently.

"You alright?" she asked him gently, apparently she had been talking for a minute now without him realizing it.

He nodded, swallowing hard in response to her touch. He felt another part of his anatomy respond to the touch as well and quickly brought the notebook he'd recently recovered from the floor in front of him to hide the evidence of his daydream.

"Listen, don't worry about knocking me over. Honestly, I trip over thin air all the time," she smiled.

"But what about your shirt? At least let me pay to have it cleaned," he spoke quickly in a struggle to get the words out of his mouth.

"No, it's fine really. This old shirt was ruined anyway. I just wore it for working around the house today and figured I'd run out for a quick cup of coffee."

"Well, I'm buying your coffee then. You can't say no to that. What are you having?"

"A Caramel Macchiato, same as you," she laughed.

Edward turned to the girl at the counter to place the order, but she spoke before he had a chance. "Let me guess, TWO grande Caramel Macchiatos?"

He nodded, and the two of them waited in silence while the girl prepared two more coffees. When she brought them to the counter, Edward pulled the cash to pay her from his back pocket and turned to hand the drink to the most recent victim of his clumsiness standing at his side.

"Thanks. So what's your name? I guess I need to know who I'm thanking."

"Umm. . ." he had lost track of his thought processes for the moment.

"Did you forget your name? Or is it really umm?" she smiled.

"Ed… Edward."

"Well, Ed… Edward. Thanks for the coffee. I really should get going, but maybe I'll see you around." She waved goodbye before turning to walk out of the side door of the shop.

He stood-stock still for at least another minute before his brain could get the message down to his feet to tell them when and how to move. He stumbled again, without spilling his drink this time, but finally reached his table without further incident.

Edward sipped his drink, slowly uncapping his pen and turning to the first unstained page in his notebook. He sat there for several minutes unable to think of a single word to write on the page. The only thing that would come to mind was her face surrounded by those heavenly curls of mahogany hair. His thoughts wandered, and before long, he caught himself doodling on the margin of the paper, drawing tiny hearts like a heartsick teenaged girl.

He sighed, mostly in disgust at himself, before downing the rest of his coffee in one large gulp. He closed his notebook with a bang on the table making the other patrons look his way once more. Fishing his keys from his pocket, he exited the building, throwing the offending sheet of paper from his notebook into the trash, and plopped into the driver's seat of his car.

_Real smooth, Masen. _He internally berated himself as he twisted the key in the ignition. _No wonder you're a twenty-one year old virgin. _Edward rested his forehead on the steering wheel for a moment before putting the car in gear and returning to his apartment complex. He climbed the stairs and unlocked the door, walking in on the most uncomfortable scene he had been forced to witness to date.

Emmett sat on the recliner directly facing the front door with his girlfriend, Rosalie, straddled across his lap, her skirt hitched to her waist. Rose's blonde hair fell down her back as she rode Emmett's cock, his hands wrapping around her waist guiding her up and down.

"Oooh, baby. Ride daddy, that's it," Emmett cooed into Rose's ear. They were so involved in themselves that neither of them noticed Edward entering the room. He stood there shell shocked for a moment, unsure of how to react, before running for his room, slamming and locking the door behind him.

"Jesus Christ, I gotta find another place to live," he mumbled to himself as he tossed his notebook onto the bed and made his way into the attached bathroom. The one good thing about this apartment was that each bedroom had its own bath. After removing his clothes and tossing them into the hamper next to the bathroom door, he reached into the shower; twisting the knob to the setting for the hot water temperature he preferred most of all. He placed his glasses on the counter next to the sink and tested the water with his hand before he climbed into the steady stream, sighing as the wet heat of the shower soaked into the muscles of his back and soothed the tension that had been building there all afternoon.

The day's events ran through his mind as Edward began to relax, and his thoughts finally settled on one thing, the feel of that beautiful girl's body against his own as they stumbled and fell onto the floor of the Starbucks. He didn't think he'd ever been that close to such a beautiful creature in his entire existence. He returned to where his daydream had left off earlier, and he could almost feel her body wrapped around his own. His hand grabbed the soap from the dish recessed into the shower wall and began to lather up his chest and stomach before traveling further south and finding his waiting erection.

Edward moaned slightly when he felt his soapy hand wrap around his penis, gently guiding it back and forth. His mind wandered, continuing the fantasy from earlier in the day. This time, Starbucks Girl was joining him in the shower, her perfect little body twining around his like a vine. He imagined pinning her against the tiles as he slammed into her again and again, her voice increasing in pitch with each and every thrust. His hand picked up tempo, and before long he could feel his orgasm coming. With a grunt, he released his semen onto the shower floor.

Opening his eyes slowly, he found he was leaning against the shower wall, supporting himself with one hand as the water rained down on his back. He took in a deep breath and finished washing up before grabbing the towel that waited on the hook next to the shower door. He stepped out onto the bath mat fluffing his hair with the towel to remove the excess water, then wrapping it around his waist and stepping up to the sink. He checked his face quickly in the mirror, replaced his glasses, and walked into the bedroom.

His laptop sat open on his bed next to the notebook he'd tossed there earlier. He plopped down next to it and opened up his email inbox. One new message sat waiting:

_From: _

_Subject: Chapter 35_

_Alright, E, here's chapter 35. Be nice, I had a rough day unpacking boxes, and meeting new neighbors, so I'm not sure if I can take too much Comma Nazi today. I'll be around later on gchat if you wanna talk_

_Love ya,_

_Bells_

_Attachment: Chapter__

He clicked on the link to download the file and stood up, unwrapping the towel from his waist and turning to his dresser to pull out a pair of boxer shorts.

Edward spent the remainder of his afternoon locked in his bedroom editing Bells' latest chapter. He quickly became absorbed in the fantasy world she created. The way her writing evoked images in his mind never ceased to amaze him, occasionally making it difficult to notice the tiny spelling and grammar errors that inevitably made their way into her work no matter how hard she might scour each and every chapter before sending it on to him. He knew it killed her every time he found an error, and each time there were less and less. She was such a perfectionist.

After combing through all twelve thousand words, he saved his changes and attached them to his reply to Bells' earlier email.

_From: _

_Subject: Re: Chapter 35_

_Nice one, Bells, almost nothing misspelled… this time. Sorry to hear about your bad day. Lemme know what I can do to make it better. Had a shit day myself, so I can sympathize. How are the plans coming for next week? Had a chance to get in your classroom yet?_

_Later,_

_E_

_Attachement: Chapter_35 – _

He hit the send button and leaned back against his pillows. He really ought to be writing right now, but there was really no way he was going to be able to focus after the day he'd just had. His computer chose that moment to ding, alterting him to a waiting IM.

_HellsBells: Hey, E! Glad I caught u online. What's up?_

_HPsEvilTwin: the sky… Srsly, nothing._

_HellsBells: Thanks for getting to my chap today. U know u didn't have to do it today._

_HPsEvilTwin: s'cool. I didn't have anything better to do. L_

_HellsBells: Bad day? Roomie problems again?_

_HPsEvilTwin: You have no idea…_

_HellsBells: Thank God I don't have a roommate here in Port Angeles._

_HPsEvilTwin: Port Angeles? Port Angeles, WASHINGTON?_

_HellsBells: Umm, yeah… didn't I tell u that's where I was moving?_

_HPsEvilTwin: No…_

_HellsBells: Why does it matter neway?_

_HPsEvilTwin: b/c I live in Port Angeles_

_HellsBells: What? Well, small world I guess…_

_HPsEvilTwin: So your new teaching job is at ?_

_HellsBells: Port Angeles High School. Wait a min, didn't u say u teach at a high school? How many high schools are in Port Angeles?_

_HPsEvilTwin: 1_

_HellsBells: E, r u srsly telling me that we r gunna be at the same school_

_HPsEvilTwin: yeah_

_HellsBells: OMG, I thought I wasn't gonna know neone here!_

_HPsEvilTwin: So whatcha gonna be teaching, b? _

_HellsBells: Chemistry.U?_

_HPsEvilTwin: Biology, u should b in the classroom next door to me_

_HellsBells: Sweet. Hey, we should get together. How about tomorrow? It's Sunday, and I don't have anything to do since I unpacked most of my stuff today._

_HPsEvilTwin: Sure, where you wanna meet?_

_HellsBells: How about Starbucks? It's the only place I rlly know how to find lol._

_HPsEvilTwin: Starbucks it is. How will I know it's you?_

_HellsBells: Lets c….I'll bring my Gryffindor scarf. Shouldn't b 2 hard 2 find rite?_

_HPsEvilTwin: LOL, no def not. Alright c u then. I need to go catch up on my writing._

_HellsBells: haha, it's a date, c u_

_**HellsBells is Offline**_

Edward shut the computer on his lap. He meant to write, but there was way too much going on inside his head to even think about trying tonight. He wasn't entirely certain about how he felt having Bells actually in the same city as him. Part of him was elated. She had been like his best friend for the past few months, but he was terrified what she would think of him in real life. On top of that, he had no idea what to expect from her. She could have actually been a forty-five year old man for all her really knew about her. A thousand different scenarios played through his brain, none of them turning out well. He sat up, and his stomach growled a complaint at the lack of food supplied to it today. Edward decided to hazard a trip to the kitchen to stop its protestations.

Edward entered Port Angeles' only Starbucks for the second time this weekend a bundle of nerves. He could feel his hands shaking as he placed them on the arm of the door in front of him, and he paused for a moment before continuing into the shop.

_Come on, Masen. This is your best friend here. Nothing to be nervous about._

He tripped over the door jamb on his way in and felt the eyes of everyone in the place staring at him the rest of the way in. He surveyed the room carefully for any hint of a burgundy and gold scarf and, much to his surprise, found precisely what he was searching for draped across the back of a chair on the opposite side of the room. The chair's occupant was facing away from him, so all he could take in was the headful of brown curls that hung over the back of the chair. They brought to mind the girl he had quite literally bumped into the day before. Shaking the thought out of his head, he trepedatiously proceeded across the room.

Edward made it halfway there before he considered changing his course. He paused momentarily and took a step backwards. Just before he made up his mind to head back to the car, she turned, and the world froze around him. That face had haunted his dreams last night, the same face that had smiled back at him from across this same room the day before. He stood there, a deer in headlights, as she rose from her chair and made her way across the room towards where he stood.

"Hi, Edward. I guess you remember me from yesterday?" She smiled that brilliant smile, making his heart leap to life once again.

All he could do was nod. The words he meant to say stopped in his throat, choking him, and a strangled noise escaped him in place of "hello."

"Edward? It is Edward right? You ok?" She looked concerned at his lack of response.

"Fine," he managed to croak out.

"Frog in your throat?" she laughed, and it tinkled in his ears like bells.

"Yeah," he rubbed his throat gently. "Meeting someone?" He gestured towards the empty chair at her table.

"Sure, a friend. Actually an online friend. We haven't met before, but he's supposed to be here by now," she frowned slightly, and his heart sank. He had to tell her who he was, but he had no idea how to even broach the topic now that she had recognized him from yesterday. Additionally, the fantasies that had been running through his mind almost nonstop since the day before made talking to her almost an impossibility.

"Wanna join me?" She gestured at the table, and Edward nodded silently forcing his legs to follow her on the way back to her seat. Somehow, he managed to will his feet to move in a somewhat normal manner almost all the way to the table. He stubbed his toe on the back leg of her chair as soon as it was within reach, causing pain to shoot all the way up to his knee. He was scared he'd broken his toe again.

"Shit," he spat out hopping up and down on his good foot as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Sorry, it's not funny."

"It's ok, I'm clumsy as hell," he grabbed the back of the unoccupied chair and guided himself gently down into it. He stared at the table top for a moment considering the best course of action. There was no way he could pretend he didn't know who she was. The scarf was displayed for the entire room to see on the back of her chair, but he'd made such an ass of himself the past two days that he wasn't entirely certain he wanted her to know who he was.

_There's no getting around it, Masen. She'll find out tomorrow if you don't tell her now, and just imagine how pissed she'll be when she finds out who you are._

Edward took in a deep breath and decided just to get it all out right then and there. "IknowwemetyesterdaybutIdidn'." The words came out in a steady stream of air so quickly that he didn't even realize he had spoken them.

"Huh?" she raised one eyebrow.

He breathed in again before answering, "You must be Bells. I'm E. E for Edward." He spoke softly, and she leaned in a little closer to hear him.

"E? Edward? Oh my God." She buried her face in her hands, and he felt an ache in his stomach. Edward wanted nothing more than to melt into a hole in the floor and die right here in Starbucks. He was relatively certain that no one would miss him anyway and considered the likelihood of being able to pull off such a feat before she spoke again.

"I feel like such an ass," she finally answered him. "How could I not have put two and two together when we met yesterday?"

He looked at her in shock before replying, "_You_ feel like an ass? I'm the one who knocked you ass over teakettle onto the floor yesterday."

"Could have happened to anyone, especially me. If I had a dollar for every time I wound up on the floor in public, I wouldn't have to teach," she laughed softly. Edward felt like he had discovered a new sound in her laugh, one that he wanted to hear every day of his life.

He smiled and instantly felt the tension in his body easing up in response. This was Bells alright, the same old Bells he'd chatted with every night for the past six months. "Well, it's good to meet you, B."

"You two, E, or do you prefer Edward?"

"Edward, I guess. That's what most people call me in real life anyway," he shrugged.

"Well, Edward. You can call me Bella, all my friends do. Of course, you're the only friend I have here in Port Angeles, so . . ." she rested her chin on one hand and picked up her coffee cup with the other, taking a sip and placing it gently back down on the table.

They continued on for the remainder of the afternoon. Bella's coffee grew cold, forgotten on the table, while she was lost in conversation with Edward. He had never felt so able to talk to anyone in his entire life, especially not a female someone. He left Starbucks that night with her phone number and address on a small piece of paper folded up in his back pocket and a promise to get together during their shared lunch period tomorrow. As the sole members of the science department of Port Angeles High, the two of them would be meeting at least weekly to plan curriculum for the rest of the school year. He figured it would be a good idea to get a head start as soon as possible, especially since the two of them were both basically brand new to teaching.

When he was finally back at his apartment, he quickly reheated some leftovers in the microwave, scarfing them down before heading back to his room. He preferred to spend as little time as possible in the shared space of their living quarters. Emmett refused to clean up behind himself, and Edward refused to clean up behind Emmett on principle. The result of all this was that their living room and kitchen more closely resembled a landfill than an apartment. After rinsing off his plate and placing it in the nearly empty dish drainer at the side of the sink, he returned to the one place he felt at home, his bedroom. Thank God he didn't have to face Emmett tonight after the impromptu porn show yesterday afternoon. He wasn't sure he could ever look Emmett in the eye again after what he had seen.

He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out to find a text message notification on his screen.

_Had a gr8 time 2nite. C u 2morro 3 B_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's a special thanks to my beautiful beta babe Britpacksuccubus and hugs and kisses for my wifey Danell. *Mwah*

-x-x-x-

"Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains

I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind

Your sweet moonbeam, the smell of you in every single dream I dream

I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided who's one of my kind."

~_Hey Soul Sister_, Train

-x-x-x-

**Three Months Later**

Edward sat curled up on Bella's couch watching the sun set through the bay window in her living room. The sounds and smells of cooking flooded in from the kitchen. He breathed in deeply taking in the scent of mushroom ravioli that came pouring into the room. A notebook full of writing lay forgotten next to him on the cushion.

Bella and Edward had taken to getting together once a week to eat dinner and work on their writing, and because of the escalating problems he was having with Emmett, they'd both decided it would be best for the two of them to meet at Bella's house. She lived alone in a two bedroom townhouse. Even though she'd been looking for a roommate for a couple of months now, she hadn't succeeded in finding anyone who she really wanted to live with, so the extra bedroom remained empty.

"You want anything to drink, E?" she called from the kitchen. He thought for a moment before answering.

"Umm… yeah. Got any coffee?"

"Of course, you know I can't write without it." He smiled. He'd known the answer to the question before he'd asked it. He'd learned a lot about her during the past three months. He knew that her favorite color was the same deep blue as the blouse he'd ruined at their first meeting, that she had her father's eyes and her mother's laugh, that she was scared of the dark.

The pair had become inseparable at school, and rumor already had the two of them dating each other for the past couple of months. Even the kids had something to say about it, taking every opportunity possible to rib Mr. Masen about his girlfriend. Not that either of them did anything to help the situation, sitting next to each other during lunch breaks and faculty meetings, passing notes back and forth and laughing uncontrollably at random moments, and meeting up after school in Starbucks nearly every afternoon for coffee and fanfiction. Even after the two of them parted ways in the evening, they stayed in contact through their computers. Neither of them went anywhere without some sort of communication device, either laptop, in Edward's case, or BlackBerry, in Bella's.

He still beta'd her stories, and she edited his as well. As a matter of fact, it was her story that sat forgotten at his side along with the red pen that he had been using to make corrections, the same red pen he used to grade papers.

His thoughts were interrupted by Bella entering the room with a steaming mug of coffee in each hand. She stumbled on the edge of the area rug that sat beneath the sofa, tumbling headlong right into Edward's lap. The coffee cups went flying into the air, spraying their contents across the room, anointing both Edward and Bella with the brown liquid. When everything came to a rest, Bella wound up face down in Edward's groin, her hands planted on either side of his lap.

Edward felt all the blood leave his brain and rush south at the contact, no matter how slight it may have been. His erection would have had to have been quite noticeable to Bella, who was merely inches away, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath through his khaki pants.

Edward lost the capacity for human thought for a few moments, his mind travelling to places it only dared to go while he was asleep. He imagined Bella's beautiful lips wrapping around him, her warm mouth moving up and down wetly around his …

"Oh God, excuse me." Bella scrambled to her feet. "You're covered in coffee, Edward. I didn't burn you, did I?"

Edward's brain came crashing back to reality. The liquid dripping from the tip of his nose was warm, but didn't burn, at least not nearly as much as his cheeks did. He shook his head softly, afraid to speak because of what might come flying out of his mouth if he did. That was as close as the two of them had been to each other since that first day back in Starbucks when he'd knocked her sprawling to the floor.

"Let me get a towel and dry you off," Bella ran for the kitchen, and he heard the crash of pans clattering to the hardwood floor.

"Bella?" he hurried into the room behind her and found her sobbing on the kitchen floor surrounded by the entire contents of the dish drainer. She held her left arm gently in her right hand, blood dripping down from the gash made by one of the shards of broken dishes on the floor. "That looks awful. Come on; let's get you to the hospital."

"No, it's fine. I'll just wrap it . . . "

"No way. You need stitches, B. Come on. I'm taking you to the emergency room." He carefully lifted her off the kitchen floor and wrapped her arm in one of the tea towels from the counter next to them, guiding her slowly out to where his Volvo sat waiting in the driveway outside. He drove the fifteen miles to the hospital as quickly as he could without exceeding the speed limit, and pulled into one of the Emergency Parking spaces.

The ER was nearly empty. A Friday night in Port Angeles, really didn't afford much action, and the odd heart attack and automobile accident was all that really brought this sleepy trauma center to life. The nurse at the front desk allowed Edward to guide Bella back into one of the patient rooms as soon as she saw the blood soaked towel that wrapped her left arm.

Within a few minutes a blonde doctor, who couldn't have been more than thirty-five, came into the room and introduced himself.

"Hi, Ms. Swan. I'm Dr. Cullen, and I'll be treating you. Now, let's take a look at what we have here." He reached out taking her arm in his hands and softly unwrapped the towel, exposing the four-inch gash that lay beneath it. When Edward saw the wound open up as the skin around the edges stuck to the fibers of the towel, he felt his face go cold, and the noise in the room around him became frozen as well. The world sounded as though he were listening to it through a pair of broken headphones. His vision swam and narrowed to two small circles that seemed to grow ever more distant, before blinking out completely.

When Edward awoke, he was lying on one of the hospital beds with Bella's hand clasping his own tightly. He looked over to see her left arm freshly bandaged and leaned up on one slightly shaky elbow, trying unsuccessfully to sit up.

"What happened?" He spoke groggily as he noticed that the rest of the world refused to come into focus. He squinted, reaching up for his glasses.

"They came off when you fell," Bella replied, placing the metal frames in his free hand while her left held his right hand captive.

"You fainted, Mr. Masen. Ms. Swan here was very worried about you when you passed out. She refused to leave your side even while I was stitching up her wound. You should be alright after a good night's sleep, but I don't want you spending the night alone." Dr. Cullen looked expectantly between the two of them with a slightly mischievous grin on his face.

Bella was the first to speak out. "He can spend the night with me . . . at my house, I mean." She blushed furiously when the full meaning her response hit her and quickly stammered any further explanation.

"B, that's ok. Emmett can keep an eye out for me . . ."

Bella interrupted him. "Don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't trust Emmett to feed my fish while I was away on vacation, much less take care of _you_. You fainted because of _me_, and _I _am going to make sure that you're ok. Now stop trying to talk me out of it," she stomped her foot on the floor to punctuate her last sentence.

Edward sat dumbfounded, capable of nothing more than moving his jaw up and down slightly like a fish gasping for air. He had never seen Bella behave so forcefully in all the time he had known her. He laughed at the serious expression on her face.

"Did you seriously just stomp your foot, B? You look like a spoiled little girl when you do that."

She giggled, covering her face with her hands. "Whatever, E. You're coming back to my place tonight, and I mean it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Edward realized there was really no other response. Bella didn't get her mind set on something very often, but when she did there was no talking her out of it. It was the reason she'd moved to Port Angeles, hours away from anyone else she'd ever known, no matter how furiously her parents had tried to talk her out of it. So, Edward allowed her to help him gather up both of their belongings and followed his wheelchair down the tiled corridors towards the exit. She grabbed his keys out of his extended hand before he ever had a chance to protest and pulled the car around to the door to allow him to get in the car.

Bella turned the car in the opposite direction of her house as they pulled into the street. It took him a few moments to realize that she was headed towards his apartment. The only sounds in the small car were the gentle droning of the music that played softly on the radio and the swish of the windshield wipers as they made their journey back and forth across the glass, sweeping the drops of misty rain that settled there. Edward felt strangely comfortable in this situation. In all his recollection, he had never let anyone drive his car, not even his sister, but there was something about Bella that made him want to share with her everything he had, everything he would ever have, everything he would ever think about having. It had unsettled him at first, but he'd grown accustomed to it in the past three months.

At first, having one of his "internet" friends come barging into his real life had been strange at best. Most of the time it was downright uncomfortable. He had been very careful to keep everyone he knew in the dark about what he did with his free time. He definitely didn't trust any of them enough to believe that they wouldn't have laughed him into oblivion if they'd had the slightest inkling about his hobbies. As it was, they ribbed him mercilessly about his clumsiness and knack for getting himself into awkward situations.

But then Bella had arrived and quite literally flipped him and his world upside down. The two of them had fallen into a comfortable rut, taking the same careful steps around each other, in a dance that kept the two of them close but never touching if it could be helped. He wanted nothing more than to be close to her, but he was so afraid of her reaction if he ever told her the truth. He'd decided that it would be better to be able to be friends with her, than her finding out what he really thought and never speaking to him again.

Bella pulled the car into the lot, shifted into park, and turned the key off before turning to face him and speaking. "Sorry about back there. I just feel bad about what happened to you. I'm responsible, and there is no way I'm going to trust Emmett to take care of you after all of this."

"So what are we doing here then?" Edward asked with a playful grin on his face.

"Oh, I thought you might like to umm. . . get some clothes. I mean if you're staying at my place tonight, you'll need something to change into for bed and in the morning." She blushed again.

"Yeah, right. Want to come inside while I get my stuff together?" Edward raised his eyebrows at the end of the question. Bella knew where he lived, she had dropped him off after the school's Halloween get together when he'd had one too many cups of punch to be able to function, but she'd never actually been inside.

"Sure, why not?" They climbed out of the Volvo, slamming the doors simultaneously. She followed him to the door where he held his hand out, looking expectantly in her direction.

"What?" she looked at him quizzically.

"Keys."

She laughed and fished his keys from her jeans pocket, plopping them down in his outstretched hand. Edward unlocked the apartment door and pushed it open to reveal the wall of beer cans that Emmett and his buddies had recently constructed. Edward had taken to referring to it as the "Cock Roach High Rise" since the thing seemed to be attracting them out of the woodwork.

"God, what is that?" Bella stood, her mouth slightly agape in the small entrance way as Edward hung his coat up on the hook next to the door.

"That's my roommate's little art project. Like it?"

"Umm, no, not really. No offense, E, but this place is a disaster area," she shook her head slightly, finding her way carefully along the small path left through the living area.

"I don't come in here if I can help it. Come on, my room's this way," he led her quickly through the mine field and towards the only bit of space in the entire place that Edward could actually call his own. He opened the door, revealing the spartan bedroom. She followed him and plopped down rather gracelessly on the bed as he walked over to the closet door, pulling it open to begin searching for some clothes to throw into his overnight bag. The impact of her body on the bed caused the comforter to ruffle slightly, revealing the sheets beneath it. She grabbed the edge of the blanked and jerked it back with a chuckle.

"Transformers? Really? So how old are you now, Edward, twelve or thirteen?"

Edward could feel the blood rising to his face for what must have been the dozenth time that night, when he saw the source of her question. The blue fabric that lined his mattress was uncovered, exposing the white transformer logo in a repetitive pattern.

"I, umm. . . jeez, Bells. I guess I'm just a geek. You haven't figured that out yet?" He ran his fingers through his hair causing random locks of it to stand on end, lending more than ever the appearance of a mad scientist. Bella laughed.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I think it's kind of cute." She grinned and started straightening the sheets. "Besides, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Huh?" he looked at her, confused.

"You'll see. Now get your stuff, and let's get going." She sat back down, more gently this time, and patiently waited for him to get his things together. Edward quickly shoved some jeans, a t-shirt, a pair of pajamas, and some underwear into his bag. He then went into his bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste, throwing them into the side pocket before returning to Bella on his bed.

_Bella on my bed. . ._

The mere phrase brought to mind so many of the dreams that had occupied his nights during the past few weeks. There had been mornings when he didn't think he would even be able to look Bella in the face at work, and on several occasions he had blushed at the sheer sight of her.

The last time he'd had a particularly arousing dream, she was changing out her bulletin board in the hallway. Bella wasn't particularly tall, and the top of the bulletin board was difficult for her to reach without a step stool. She'd actually had to stand on her tiptoes to staple the border around the top edge, causing her skirt to ride up to a dizzying height. Well, dizzying for Edward at least. He'd actually thought he might die when the white cotton of her underwear became visible. At least he'd have died happy.

That night he'd dreamed of having her in about eight thousand different ways, in every place and in every position his brain could concoct, and woken up in a frightful state. He'd managed to avoid her for the rest of the day, until she found him after school on the pretense of asking his opinion on a lab she'd had planned for the next day. He couldn't think of any way of getting out of talking to her, and honestly, he wasn't sure he really wanted to stay away from her. He was unendingly nervous in her presence at times, but she was like a drug for him. No matter how many times he tried to give her up, tried to stay away, he was helpless when it came down to the wire. He found himself seeking her out at odd moments during the day, and unsure of what to do with himself when she wasn't around. When he had a free moment during those days she couldn't be at work for one reason or another, he would wander the halls aimlessly looking for anything to occupy his time.

He was really quite disgusted with how dependent on her he had become, and here he found himself knowing he shouldn't accept her invitation to spend the night but helpless to say no. So, when he returned to his room to find her lying face down on the bed, her perfect ass wrapped in an absolutely exquisitely fitted pair of jeans, he nearly fainted again from lack of blood flow to the brain.

"B… B… Bella," he stammered. "Uh, you ready to go?"

She rolled over lazily and stretched, her shirt pulling up and showing off the skin of her stomach and bellybutton. Edward felt his blood pressure skyrocketing at the sight.

She yawned, "Sure," and pushed herself up to a seated position, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She left the room first, followed closely by Edward, who was surprised to see Emmett perched on the couch in the living room when they arrived there.

"So, who's the hottie, Eddie?" he bellowed from his spot on the sofa.

"Hi, to you too, Emmett. This is Bella. She has the classroom next door to mine." Bella waved hello to Emmett and looked quickly down at the floor.

"Headed out?" He raised his eyebrows as he spoke.

"Yeah, I'm staying over at Bella's house tonight. Wasn't feeling to good so she's promised to look after me." There was no way Edward was repeating tonight's embarrassing incidents to Emmett, he had enough ammunition without Edward pouring gas on the fire.

"Bet she is," he grinned and waggled his eyesbrows. "She could take care of me any time."

"Come on, Bells. We gotta go." He grabbed Bella's hand, and his heart skipped a beat. "Later, Em."

"Sure, don't do anything I wouldn't do, Eddie!" Emmett called his goodbye to them as they made their way quickly out the door.

"He seems like a joy to live with," Bella mumbled under her breath. "How do you stand it?"

"I spend all my free time at Starbucks and your place," he replied. "Or I lock myself in my room and write."

"Oh," she looked down at the place where their hands were still joined, and Edward felt a jolt of electricity shoot up his arm when he realized they were touching.

"Let's just go, B." He opened the car door for her, and she looked at him for a lingering moment before reluctantly climbing into the passenger seat.

"I really shouldn't let you drive," she told him when he sat in the driver's seat. "Especially not after you fainted tonight."

"Look who's talking? At least I didn't lose mass quantities of blood." He pointed at the bandage on her arm, and she laughed.

"I guess neither of us is in tip top shape at the moment. Good thing it isn't far to my house then. I guess I'll trust you to drive a few miles," she smiled and began fiddling with the radio station as he cranked up the car. When she finally found a radio station that she was satisfied with, she sat back in the car seat. The ride to her house took only a few minutes.

When they arrived and he pulled his car in behind hers, she turned to him and spoke, "So, you ready for a sleepover?"

He laughed, "I haven't had a sleepover since my best friend, Jasper, and I slept out in my treehouse back in Forks when I was like ten years old."

"How'd that go?"

"We chickened out and came to sleep in my bunk beds at around midnight. Got scared of an owl up in the tree hooting. Hope this goes better than that did."

"Me too. Come on. We'll watch Casablanca, and I'll paint your toenails." She nearly jumped out of the car and danced her way to the front door.

"No way, B," he called after her. "There is no way I'm watching Casablanca."

They both erupted into gales of laughter at that, so much that Bella couldn't make her key fit into the lock on the door. Edward stumbled up the front steps to join her on the porch, and after she took a few deep breaths to calm herself, she was able to open the door and let them both into the living room.

Edward put his bag down in the window seat of the bay window and returned to his accustomed place on the couch. She joined him sitting on the opposite end with their legs lacing in between each other on the cushions between them. Bella grabbed the remote control from the side table and began flipping through the channels settling finally on Star Wars Episode III on HBO.

"Ugh," Edward groaned. "You know I hate this movie! Hayden Christensen is the worst actor they possibly could have chosen to play Anakin Skywalker." He had very particular opinions of the newest installments to the series, especially those concerning the casting and screen play writing choices. In Edwards opinion, you couldn't beat Episodes IV through VI with any amount of special effects or make up. He could get started on rather passionate tirades about this subject, and he and Bella had debated the merits and shortcomings of the entire series at several points during the past few months.

"Yeah, I know, but there's really nothing else on. Why don't you try to find something?" She tossed him the remote, and it landed squarely in the middle of his chest.

"Ouch," he rubbed his chest where it landed. "Thanks, B."

"Sorry," she winced. "Listen, it's getting late. You wanna just go to bed?"

He looked at his watch. After all the events of the evening, he'd lost track of the hour, and midnight had arrived before he was ready for it. Suddenly, he felt exhausted.

"Yeah, I guess it is getting pretty late." He swung his feet down to the floor and stood up. "So, I've never actually been upstairs. What should I expect?"

"Oh," Bella slapped her hand across her face. "I forgot. I've only got one bed set up. The other room is empty right now. Listen, I'll take the couch. You can sleep in my bed."

"No way, B. It's your house. You take the bed, and I'll stay on the couch. It's comfy enough. Plus, I think it's starting to like me after all the time we've spent together." He patted the cushion lovingly.

Bella laughed, "You really shouldn't. You'll hate yourself in the morning. Trust me. I spent my first three nights on this couch waiting for the new bed to be delivered. It really wasn't the best idea. It might have been more comfortable sleeping on the floor." Bella thought for a moment before speaking, "Ok, this might sound kind of crazy, but hear me out. Why don't we share? I mean, we're friends right?"

Edward's jaw hit his chest, and he lifted it slowly, considering his response carefully before answering. He knew he wanted nothing more on Earth than to share a bed with Bella Swan, but he also knew that was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. She was merely being a good friend.

"Umm… I don't… I mean, Bella… God…" He shook his head, completely at a loss for words.

"Wow, ok, well don't act so excited. I'll stay on the couch tonight." She looked slightly crestfallen.

"No, you don't have to do that. We can share. It's cool." He finally managed to make his tongue work long enough to get the words out.

"You sure?" She looked at him, scrutinizing his expression for some indication of his real feelings on the subject.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's fine. Want to head upstairs?" He held his hand out and helped her rise from the couch. Bella led the way up the stairs. Her bedroom was the first door at the top, and the door stood slightly ajar. Dim light from a lamp on the night table flooded into the hallway lighting their path.

"Well here it is, my boudoir," she said with a flourish. A plain room that reminded him a lot of his own room greeted him. The main difference was the king size bed that held the center of the room, but the blue and green plaid comforter was a match for the one on his bed. He half expected to turn back the covers and find the king-size version of his Transformers sheets.

"So what's this surprise I'm supposed to see?" He looked around the room expectantly.

"Oh, wait right there." She walked over to the bed and grabbed the comforter tossing it back over the footboard. What he saw made him laugh aloud.

"Where in the hell did you find Harry Potter sheets in king size?" he asked, dumbfounded, as he took in the sight before him. The same brilliant blue as his own bedding but instead of the Transformers logo it held the face of Daniel Radcliffe dressed as Harry Potter.

"You like? My mom found them on Amazon and got them for my birthday. She sent me a Gryffindor set too. They're in the linen closet." She grinned.

"They are absolutely the most amazingly dorky thing I have ever beheld. Fits you to a T. Mind if I go get changed?"

Bella gestured towards the door. "Bathroom is down the hallway, last door. Let me know if you need anything."

Edward made his way through the dimly lit hall to the last door and twisted open the handle to reveal a small bath. He stacked his stuff up on the top of the toilet and proceeded to get ready for the night. Changing into his pajamas, he grabbed his tooth brush and turned on the sink. When he was finished, he returned to the bedroom to find Bella already in the bed waiting for him.

"Plenty of room, Edward. It's a big bed."

Leaving his glasses on his night table, he climbed in on the side opposite her. As she leaned over to turn off the light, she yawned, "Goodnight, E."

"Night." He laid still in the dark for some time, listening to the regular rhythm of her breathing. His heart beat an erratic pace in his chest. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard her slip into the shallow, steady cadence that indicated sleep. He'd seen her sleep before. She tended to doze on the couch on lazy Saturday afternoons when they had nothing to do. At those times, he would stop whatever he was doing and simply watch her rest.

Now in the dark, he relied on his other senses to monitor her. He felt the motion of the sheets above him as she breathed slowly in and out. The material smelled of her perfume, the scent that haunted him on the cold nights when she borrowed his jacket. He breathed her in deeply and exhaled slowly.

It was the most excruciating torture he'd ever encountered to be so close to her and not be able to touch her. His entire body ached to reach for her, to do nothing more than take her small frame into his arms, wrap himself around her and sleep. It took all of his willpower not to at least allow one finger to trail along her outline next to him in the shadows.

Eventually, fatigue overcame him, and Edward gave in to unconsciousness. He dreamed fevered dreams filled with Bella and woke to the sun streaming through the bedroom window. Bella was gone, but the smell of sausage cooking filled the house. Edward stumbled out of bed, fumbling for his glasses and finally succeeding in knocking them to the floor. He fished them from the hardwood and thrust them onto his face before he carefully made his way down the stairs.

The smell of breakfast led him to the kitchen where he saw Bella standing at the stove, the handle of a frying pan in one hand.

"You're a cover hog," she spoke with her back to him, and he was immediately distracted by the outline of her body, accentuated by a tank top and cotton shorts, working in front of the range.

"Hmm. Oh, really?" he answered, preoccupied.

"Yeah. I hope you're hungry. I'm making sausage and eggs." She moved something around in the pan in front of her with a fork. "Have a seat at the table. Breakfast will be ready in a minute."

Edward found one of the four empty chairs at the table and settled into it, watching Bella hustle around the kitchen gathering plates and silverware for two. She brought all of it to the table along with a plate of sausage and one of eggs, quickly followed by two steaming cups of coffee that she carried very slowly and carefully towards the table.

Edward broke into a round of applause when she reached the table without spilling a drop. After placing it on the table, she took a slight bow before taking the seat across the table from Edward.

"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week."

"Food looks good, B. You didn't have to cook."

"It's fine. I woke up early, and I didn't want to wake you. So, I came down here and started making breakfast. I was starving anyway." Bella started scooping sausage links and scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"Oh, shit! I forgot the toast." She dashed for the stove and opened the oven to reveal four pieces of bread browning under the broiler. "Oh great, it's burnt."

"Don't worry about it. I don't like toast anyway."

"Liar, but thanks for saying so." She grabbed the slices of bread from the hot oven and tossed them towards the trash can, missing by a mile.

"I'm glad you went to college, B, because you have no future in professional sports."

"Real cute, Mr. Masen. I see that knee injury is all that's keeping you from your football career too," she replied sarcastically, returning to the table. "But seriously, I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" She had him perplexed by her statement. He had no idea what to expect, and that made him nervous.

"Well, I was thinking. You're obviously not happy living with Emmett, that place is a working definition of chaos. And you know I've been looking for a roommate for the past couple of months unsuccessfully. It's been nice having you around here. You're like my best friend on Earth, and I was just wondering if you might want to move into the other bedroom? We'd split the rent and the utilites, which I assume you're doing with Emmett anyway . . ."

Edward interrupted her before she could finish. "Yes," he answered emphatically. He had no idea where the answer had come from or what it would lead to, but anything had to be better than living with Emmett for even another week.

"Great!" Bella looked elated. "When do you want to move in?"

"Now," he answered with a crooked grin, and she laughed.

"Well, that's good enough for me. Don't you have some kind of lease you have to get out of over there with Emmett?"

"Not exactly. The lease is in his name, I just pay him my part of the rent each month. Oh man, he's gonna be pissed." Edward rested his chin in his hand, considering the best way to let his roommate know he would be leaving, and decided that it really didn't matter. Because, after this weekend, he would never have to deal with him again.


	3. Chapter 3

-x-x-x-

"You're so gansta, I'm so thug. You're the only one I'm dreaming of. You see, I can be myself now finally. In fact there's nothing I can't be. I want the world to see you be with me. "

Train, "Hey Soul Sister"

-x-x-x-

Bella arrived at Edward's apartment late on Sunday morning, the bed of her old, red truck packed with empty boxes and a roll of packing tape hanging on her wrist like the world's largest bangle. He'd never seen anything to equal her when she set her mind to something. The instant he'd agreed to move in with her, he could see the wheels turning behind those liquid, brown eyes, and by the end of the day on Saturday, it was all over but the moving.

Bella all but held his hand when he told Emmett about his plans to move out immediately, but since he also added that he planned to pay another month's rent to Em to apologize for leaving so suddenly, the air was pretty clear between the two of them. Emmett had even offered to come help Edward move his stuff into his new room, which had come as a complete and total shock to Edward until he found out Emmett's real intentions.

"I gotta say, Eddie, I'm kinda glad you found some place else to live. I was going to ask you if you minded if Rose moved into the apartment, but now I guess it doesn't matter."

Edward had to struggle not to snort a noseful of the coffee he was drinking. "Oh really?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, but she didn't want to share the apartment with you, so lucky thing Bella asked you to live with her right?"

"Mmm hmm," Edward continued sipping his coffee to avoid the rest of this conversation.

"So how long you and Bella been fucking?" Emmett asked as he turned to find an empty box to stack Edward's book collection into just in time for the coffee spray from Edward's mouth to hit him in the back of the head instead of directly in the face.

"Jeezus, Edward!" Emmett swiped at the dripping liquid with his paw of a hand. "What the hell?"

"Emmett, I'm going to tell you this one time and one time only. Bella and I are not now, nor have ever been f… fu… fucking," he choked out the last word, and it felt like acid on his tongue. That word should never be applied to Bella Swan.

"Alright, man, take it easy. I was just asking is all. I mean, hell, she asked you to move in with her, so I just assumed that you two had something going on. You talk about her all the time, and I guessed you two had been knocking boots for awhile now. Everyone else thinks so, too."

Edward swallowed hard.

"Well, all except for Jasper," Emmett continued, "He said that if you'd finally gotten a piece, you would have pulled that stick out of your ass, but since you're still walking around with it planted up there, you must not have hit it yet."

Edward felt the blood rush to his face, and dropped his head to hide it in his hands. He simply shook his head for a moment before continuing to tape up the box he had just finished packing. Without saying a word, he picked it up and began to make his way out the door and down the stairs to his car. He made it uneventfully down to the third step from the bottom before his feet slid out from underneath him, and he rode the rest of the way down to the cement walkway on his bottom.

He could hear booming laughter from the landing above him. He didn't even need to look up to know what Emmett's face must look like as he bellowed down, "Smooth move, Ex-Lax."

Edward shifted the weight of the box from his lap to the ground next to him, checking his clothes carefully for rips or tears before gingerly pushing himself up to stand. He brushed the dirt off his clothes before reaching for the box again, carefully balancing the load during the remaining few feet between him and his Volvo. He struggled to tone out the guffaws coming from Emmett on his path to his Jeep. Emmett would be following behind Edward with the last of his belongings.

As he drove carefully making his way out of the parking lot of the apartment complex, he cranked the radio up to full volume, allowing the music to wash away all the embarrassment that filled his mind. He replaced it with relief, relief at his change in circumstance, relief that he had the chance to live with his best friend rather than a near stranger, relief at being out of an awkward situation. He thought about Bella's smiling face sitting across from him at the kitchen table. They'd eaten there countless times in the past three months, and he could think of nothing that felt more like home to him in the entire world.

He drove a little distractedly, focusing instead on the thoughts that ran through his brain and the music as it meandered through his daydreams, so he shouldn't have been surprised when he missed the last turn on the way to his new home. He had to circle around the block and come back to find Emmett waiting for him on the front steps, pointing and laughing.

Edward sighed, climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him. He pulled one of the boxes from the back seat and walked past Emmett without saying a word. He climbed up the stairs depositing the box just inside the entrance to his new bedroom. The only thing here was the double bed that Bella had placed in the room to act as a guest bed should she have company over. The two of them had agreed that Edward should use it instead of the tiny single bed that his father had picked up and taken home this morning. It would find its rightful place back in his childhood bedroom.

He walked slowly down the stairs resting his weight on the rail with each step. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Walking quickly past the boxes that Emmett had stacked up in the living room, he arrived in the room just in time to see Bella slapping Emmett firmly across the cheek. The crack of the impact reverberated across the tiled room.

"Get out," she spoke loudly and more forcefully than he had ever heard her before.

Emmett opened his mouth to speak, but Bella interrupted him before he could make the first sound.

"You heard me. Get out of my house, now." She pointed towards the front door, and Emmett walked out slowly without a word.

When Edward heard his Jeep start up in the drive, he finally asked, "What in the hell, Bells?" His eyes were as round as sauces as he spoke.

"Never mind, Edward," Bella turned to walk over to the refrigerator, tripping over the edge of a floor tile and stumbling. Edward reached out for her instinctively, catching her before she fell face first onto the kitchen floor.

"Are you okay?" he questioned her gently, as he placed her gently down onto the kitchen floor.

Bella drew her knees up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them and burying her face in the small space left between them. She breathed in deeply and slowly before letting all the air in her chest out in one rush. At that moment, she began sobbing, hiding her face in her hands as the tears rolled down her cheeks and struck her legs.

Edward lowered himself onto the floor, bringing his body next to hers and gently wrapping one arm around her shoulder. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and continued to cry.

"It's alright Bella. Whatever it is, it's going to be alright." He spoke to her soothingly, trying to calm her nerves. He had no idea what had occurred here between Bella and Emmett, but he did know that Bella's reaction was causing him to become more and more enraged by the second. He could feel the anger building up in his chest, and he wasn't sure he could go another moment not knowing what had caused these tears.

He placed one finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to meet his own, "Please, tell me what is wrong."

Bella shook her head, looking away quickly. "It's nothing, really."

"Nothing? Nothing wouldn't have you reacting this way. You never cry. What's the matter?"

"He just . . . He . . . It's just stupid . . . I really should have let it go, but he was talking shit about you, E. He told me he was glad you were moving out of his place, so he'd have more room. Then, he asked me about us," Bella blushed, "and I told him that we were just friends. So, I guess that was when he decided that I was fair game. I was bent over the kitchen counter trying to put up some of the dishes you brought with you. He walked up behind me, smacked my butt, and asked me if I wanted to know what a real man was like in the sack instead of a dork like you. That's when you walked in, and I slapped him."

Bella had stopped crying and balled her hands up into fists that lay stiffly at her sides. Her face was scrunched up in anger and embarrassment at the story she'd just been obliged to relive for Edward. He felt awful for having been the cause of this incident. He should never have brought Emmett along, no matter how much help he needed. He stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to head back over there right now and let Emmett have a piece of my mind. If he thinks . . ."

"Stop," he felt Bella's hand on his arm and turned to see her standing next to him. "What good will it do E? Just let it go. You never have to see him again after today. The last of your boxes are here in the living room, and you left your key behind with him, right?"

Edward nodded his head, still fuming. Bella reached down and grabbed his hand, guiding him over towards the kitchen table. He sat down in the nearest seat, and she sat across from him. The two sat unspeaking for a few minutes until Bella broke the silence.

"Well, I suppose we've given them all something to talk about now haven't we? I mean since it's common knowledge that we're having sex, the next logical step is the two of us living together." She grinned mischievously, rising from the table. "What do you say to having a Harry Potter marathon on the television for the rest of the afternoon. It's a three-day weekend, and there's no school tomorrow. You can unpack all this crap then. I need a break."

"Last one to the living room is an amazing, bouncing ferret." Edward stood up, breaking into a run, with Bella close on his heels. They raced at full speed through the open doorway, pushing and shoving, each of them attempting to slow the other in every way possible

The two of them collapsed in a heap on the couch, laughter ringing through the room. Their legs intertwined, tangling as the struggled to right themselves. When they finally came to a rest, Edward found himself pinned to the couch with Bella sitting across his lap. Bella puffed air between her lips, blowing the hair that covered her face back before brushing it back with one hand. The two of the froze there for a moment; the tension between the two of them hung heavy in the air, and for the first time there was no way of denying what was there between the two of them.

After a few seconds, Bella leaned in allowing her lips to brush across his so softly that he wasn't sure it had even happened until he reopened his eyes and saw her espresso-colored ones staring back at him.

"Bella, I . . ." He tried to speak, but the words were cut off short be Bella's mouth. Her kiss stole his breath away and erased all coherent thoughts from his brain. He had imagined, dreamed of this moment a million times in a million different ways, but none of his imaginings held a candle to the actuality of this instant. The smell of her filled his nostrils, he tasted her lips on his tongue, he felt the softness of her skin against his own, his ears filled with the sound of her increasingly ragged breath, and his eyes drank in the sight of her body so close to his own. His senses were filled with her.

Edward wrapped his arms around her body drawing her even closer. He could feel the heat building between them until it seemed as if the world would catch fire. Edward stood, and Bella wrapped her legs around his waist, as he made his way to the stairs. They bumped into every piece of furniture in the room on their path before he finally pressed her body against the wall at the end of the staircase.

Bella unwrapped herself from him, but their lips remained locked together. Her hands found the buttons of his shirt as she began to take the steps one at a time walking backwards. After a few steps, she ripped the shirt free from the waistline of his pants, pushing it down his shoulders and letting it fall forgotten to the floor. Her hands roamed around the skin on his chest sending electrical impulses all over his brain. The skin there tingled from the contact.

His own hands mimicked hers, fumbling for the button holes that would free her beautiful body from the lavender shirt she wore. He knew they were still headed up the stairs, but his brain was unable to register their exact location. In fact, his brain was unable to register any details about his surroundings or anything that wasn't related to Bella.

The trail of clothes that lead to Bella's room was growing longer by the moment. She backed her way slowly towards the bed. When her knees found the edge of the mattress, she fell backwards, pulling Edward down on top of her.

He surfaced for air, looking down at Bella lying beneath him on the bed, her hair splayed around her like a chocolate cloud and sighed.

"Are you okay, E?" she asked. "If you don't wanna do this we can stop right now."

He reached down pushing a stray curl from her face. "I don't think I've ever wanted anything more in my life, but I'm worried . . ." He hesitated for a moment

"About?"

"About disappointing you, Bells. I've never done anything like this before . . ." He felt the blood rising to his face. He'd never confessed to a single soul that he was a virgin.

"I know, E. It's alright. I promise. Just do what feels right, and everything will be fine." She reached up and pulled him back down into her arms, their lips finding each other again.

When she guided him inside of her, Edward's heart stopped beating in his chest, and the world around him came to a grinding halt. He did dare to move for a moment, until he felt her body move beneath his own. Her hands roamed his back, and every point of contact between their two bodies was like a million fires. Edward burned but was not consumed. His body melted into hers from the heat they produced, and the two separate halves of themselves became one.

He could feel her body clenching around him, pulling him deeper inside with every stroke. He had never felt anything so amazing in all his life. It seemed that all this time, he'd only been going through the motions of living, until Bella stepped into his life, and every second since then had been building to this moment of sheer perfection.

Edward closed his eyes, feeling the pressure building inside him until he thought he would explode. The world around him disappeared, and nothing existed except Bella. Bella, here in his arms. Bella, her lips pressed against his, her body wrapped around his, their arms and legs tangled inseparably. They breathed the same air, occupied the same space for this one second, and Edward knew he'd found the piece of him he hadn't known was missing.

The light of the setting sun filtered in through the curtains at the window, dancing through the curls that lay scattered across Bella's pillow.

"I love you, B," he breathed softly into her hair as his arms looped themselves around the smooth, soft skin at her waist.

"I love you too, E," her words drifted past his ear causing his heart to stop momentarily before fluttering back to life in his chest.

The two of them slowly drifted off to sleep wrapped in the cotton of Bella's Harry Potter sheets, their arms and legs woven together in a tapestry so closely that it felt as if her body had melted into his.


	4. Outtake: All Hallow's Eve

All Hallows Eve – A Beta Readers and Bulletin Boards Outtake

A/N - This is dedicated to TwilightJemS and venti_turtl for all their help and support during the Awkward contest. I really loved the impromptu readalong you girls hosted when I released this fic. You really made my night, and helped me make the finals of the contest. (I still think I should have won, but I'm prejudiced.)

-x-x-x-

Bella stood on the steps before the largest brick house she had ever seen, carefully contemplating the door bell. She hesitated but eventually reached out to press the small white button recessed into the wall in front of her. She could barely make out the ding of the chime over the music that could be heard through the wooden door and windows that flanked it on either side.

It took a little while before the door opened, and she was about to turn and leave when Jasper appeared behind one of the windows, smiling widely.

"Come on in," he opened the door, giving her access to the hallway that lay beyond it. "Everyone is out in the game room at the back of the house." He led her through the corridor to the last door of the many that lined if. A few of them were ajar and afforded her a view of several lavishly furnished rooms. She knew there was no way Mr. Hale could afford all this on an assistant principal's salary.

"You have a lovely home, Mr. Hale. How long have you lived here?" She smiled shyly as she spoke.

"Why thank you, Bella, and please call me Jasper. We're nowhere near school, so there's no need to be so formal." He stopped walking and turned to face her, "I've lived here for about six years, but it's been in my family much longer. I inherited this place from my grandparents."

Bella immediately felt horrible for even bringing the subject up. "I'm so sorry Mr. . . . Jasper. I didn't mean to . . ."

He cut her off in midsentence with a laugh. "Bella, will you please relax a little? This _is_ a party. My grandparents died a long time ago, when I was still a kid. They hated it that my dad had married a Southern girl. Trailer trash, I think, was the exact term they used for her, but I was their only grandchild. So they left everything in a trust fund for me. I inherited it all on my eighteenth birthday. It was kind of weird, getting all this stuff from a couple of people I'd seen maybe five times in my life, but trust me, there are no sad memories in this place for me."

He smiled, and she immediately felt better, her nerves calming as he spoke. Bella couldn't understand why she felt so anxious. She was quite comfortable with Jasper at work, but she'd never been to any of her co-worker's homes before, not even Edward's. She supposed that be the source of her anxiety.

Jasper opened the door to the game room and the volume of the music increased exponentially. Bella was surprised to see the large room with a wall of windows over-looking a beautiful backyard, complete with swimming pool and gazebo. Inside were two pool tables and a sitting area with a couch, chairs, and big screen TV.

The music was coming from the DJ booth that had been set up at the far end of the room. A young man, with copper skin and a shock of straight black hair, who must have been well over six feet tall, stood behind it, staring intently at the screen of a laptop computer.

"You hired a DJ?" She looked at Jasper a little incredulously.

Jasper chuckled, "I almost forgot, you're new here. I've been throwing the staff Halloween party for over five years now, even before I was the AP. Let's just say that Edward calls my parties _epic win._"

Bella laughed out loud and scanned the room at the mention of Edward's name. Jasper caught her expression.

"He's not here yet. You're actually kind of early. Most of them won't show up for another half an hour or so, but the bar is over there. I've got cheesy horror movies playing on the big screen." Jasper gestured to the various locations around the room. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some food to get served up."

"Sure. See you." Jasper walked away to the kitchen, and Bella made her way towards the bar area, as the music came to a sudden stop. She looked up for a moment and noticed the DJ working furiously on rewiring some of the equipment that surrounded him. Turning her attention away, she noticed a bowl of punch atop the counter and a tub of ice and sodas lying on the floor next to an identical one filled with bottles of beer. She grabbed a cup from the counter top and ladled out a half cupful of punch, taking a sip. She sputtered when the sting of the alcohol attacked her senses and struggled to keep from spraying it across the room

Suddenly, she felt the warm touch of a large hand on her back. The DJ patted her gently. "You alright?"

She nodded, wide eyed.

"You look like you're choking." He looked concerned.

Bella swallowed hard, the burn of the liquid fire traveling down her throat bringing tears to her eyes, and coughed.

"The punch," she managed a hoarse whisper, "it's spiked."

He laughed, "I'm guessing Jasper didn't warn you."

She shook her head and reached down to grab a can of soda from the container at her feet.

"Not much of a drinker?" His hand still lingered on the small of her back. She felt her heart flutter with the contact. Bella took a sip of the soda, washing the unpleasant taste from her mouth before answering.

"No, not really. I'm only twenty-one, and I've had a couple of drinks. But I really don't care for the taste." She shrugged. "I guess I prefer caffeine."

He looked at her a little hungrily, his eyes drinking in her form. The expression on his face got her hackles up a little, but her qualms ended when he took his hand from her back and held it out in a friendly manner. "I guess I should introduce myself. Jacob Black. My friends call me Jake."

She took his hand in hers, "Bella. Bella Swan. Nice to meet you. You the DJ?"

"Yeah, during the day I'm a mild mannered bus boy at one of Port Angeles least horrific Italian restraints. By night, I'm Jake, DJ extraordinaire."

Bella smiled. "Well, I don't think ever med a DJ extraordinaire before. A mere science teacher is honored to meet you."

Jacob bowed deeply and laughed. "It's been a pleasure milady. Please excuse me. I have to finish setting up. See you around."

Bella wasn't sure if the last sentence was more of a statement or a question, but she waved gently, turning to find a path to the sitting area on the opposite side of the room. Her eyes found the leather couch and chair easily, but she was surprised at what she saw there. Edward stood next to the television, his arm around the shoulders of the cutest girl she had ever seen.

She was tiny, pixie-like, with spiky black hair and shining blue eyes. Her laughter traveled above the cacophony of the assembled company in the room and rang like bells in Bella's ears. Bella unexpectedly felt her heart twist in her chest and suddenly felt sick. For a moment, she thought the punch must have been stronger than her first impression, but there was something more to it than that.

Bella made her way across the room to stand next to the chair opposite Edward. Something inexplicable drew her there like a magnet from across the room, and before she realized it she was only a few feet away from the pair.

"Hi," she waved weakly at Edward, as she carefully studied the beautiful girl standing next to him. Her eyes strayed back to his and caught the bright smile that sat on his face.

"Hi, Bells," There was a hint of something in his voice that made her heart skip a beat. He sounded happier than normal, especially for being at a social event, and she suspected that it had something to do with the girl at his side. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. Bella this is Alice. Alice, Bella."

Alice stuck her hand out in a friendly manner. "Nice to meet you. Edward has told me so much about you." The girl beamed at her, and Bella mulled the name over in her thoughts for a moment. It sounded familiar, like Edward had mentioned it before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Bella shook the girl's hand, but didn't speak.

"Alice is home from school for the weekend, so I decided I'd rescue her from Mom and Dad's house and being bored to death." Edward put a hand on her shoulder, patting her back gently. Bella suddenly realized where she'd heard Alice's name before. She was Edward's younger sister, in her senior year of college at Evergreen.

Bella immediately felt like an idiot and tried to make up for it by being friendly. "How's school going Alice? Edward mentioned you're majoring in gender studies. Sounds really interesting."

Alice beamed at her, "I love it. When I finish school, I plan to move to Los Angeles and go to grad school there. Or maybe New York, if Mom and Dad won't have too much of a fit about it. Are you enjoying your first year teaching?"

Bella laughed. "It's growing on me."

Edward's eyes grew wide, and Bella wheeled around to see what had caught his attention. All she saw was Jasper emerging from the kitchen with a tray of shrimp perched on his outstretched hand. Edward grabbed Alice's hand and began dragging across the room. "Be right back, Bells."

Bella watched in amazement as Edward stalked away with Alice in tow towards where Jasper stood arranging the plates of food on the bar next to the punch bowl. Jasper dropped what he was doing and wrapped his arms around Alice's tiny frame, lifting her off the ground. The three of them began an animated conversation, and Bella settled into one of the armchairs in front of the TV. It felt like intruding to watch the three old friends talking.

She became interested in the movie playing across the screen, one of those old slasher movies where everyone dies, until she heard the music start back up. Rising from her seat, she walked over to Jake at the DJ booth.

"Hi again," she spoke loudly to be heard over the speakers.

Jake grinned widely. "Well, hi there." He motioned for her to join him behind the equipment. Surprisingly, the sound was muffled back here, and she could actually hear him when he spoke in a normal tone of voice. "Better?"

She nodded. "I thought it would be loud back here."

"Well, the speakers direct the sound towards the dance floor, not back here. You can feel the vibrations but not the music so much. I'd go deaf if I had to listen to loud music like that all the time."

Bella looked out and studied the crowd that was starting to gather in Jasper's game room. She could see the entire room from here. "You must get to watch a lot of people sitting back here."

"Yeah, you learn a lot about people. For example, I've only seen you talking to one other person since you got here. I'm guessing you're a little shy."

She blushed, "Yeah, I guess."

He gestured towards the bar area. "And those two over there are falling in love."

She looked in the direction he indicated and saw Alice and Jasper. The two of them leaned against the wall, their bodies facing the rest of the room, but their faces turned toward each other as they spoke. The smile on Jasper's face was unmistakable, and Bella's heart warmed at the sight of it. She was glad to see her AP that happy. God knows, he deserved it for all the patience he had with students and staff alike.

Alice, on the other hand, looked radiant. Bella didn't know her very well, but she was sure it was obvious to anyone who cared to look that she was fascinated with whatever he was talking about. She smiled. "That's my boss, and she's my best friend's sister."

"Best friend?" Jake raised his eyebrows.

Bella scanned the room again, looking for Edward. She found him in a second, punch cup in hand, standing next to the table where Emmett and some gorgeous blonde were playing pool. She assumed the blonde must be Rose, Emmett's girlfriend. Edward had mentioned that she was over at their apartment a lot.

Bella pointed across the room. "See the guy with the glasses and punch cup over by the pool tables?" Jake nodded. "That's Edward, my best friend."

"A guy?" Jake mocked surprise at her revelation.

"Yes, a guy." She smiled. "We've been friends for a few months now."

"I heard Jasper telling someone you were doing really well for a first year teacher, so you've only been teaching a few weeks, right?"

Bella felt her cheeks flush again. "Yeah, I met Edward online before I even moved here. It was just kind of a coincidence that we wound up working at the same school." Bella looked over at Edward again, and he suddenly glanced her way. Their eyes locked for a moment, but he quickly looked away, downing his punch in one gulp and making his way over to the bar to fill his cup again.

Bella considered going over to speak to him, but he was pulled into Alice and Jasper's conversation again. She turned to Jake, "So, what kind of music you got?"

He pulled out a notebook filled with printed out lists of music placed in protective plastic covers. "Take your pick. I have all of these and probably a few more on my rusty, trusty old laptop here." He patted the computer next to him. "Just tell me which one you want to hear. I have them alphabetized by song title in the first half and artist in the second half."

She laughed, "OCD much?"

"You'd be surprised how often I get asked for both. Especially with the karaoke crowd."

"You do karaoke?"

"Yeah, from time to time, but usually only when I have to fill in for someone else at a local bar. Although, I did do a karaoke wedding shower for a couple that was getting married in the spring."

"A karaoke wedding shower?" She laughed.

"Yeah, it was actually pretty fun. Well, until one of the bridesmaids got drunk and decided to sing "I Will Always Love You" to the groom. Let's just say the bride didn't take it well." He grinned.

"What?" It was Bella's turn to raise her eyebrows.

"Yeah, the cops thought it was pretty funny too when they showed up to break up the fight." Bella was enjoying Jake's company. It sure beat sitting and watching a slasher movie by herself while everyone else partied around her. Everyone in the room had been sampling the punch, some more than others, and the noise level was growing steadily higher.

The two of them thumbed through the notebook for some time, choosing some of Bella's favorite music to blare over the large speakers. She was surprised to see he had even some of the more obscure bands she liked. Bella's preference tended toward some kind of independent rock bands, including some bands who were exclusive to the Phoenix area. Other than her CD collection, she hadn't seen any of their music during her time in Port Angeles, so she was amazed to see the familiar names in Jake's notebook. They compared lists and found that they shared much the same taste in music.

Bella looked at her watch, realizing that she and Jake had been in the DJ booth for over an hour discussing music. "Ugh, Jake I should probably go out there and talk before people start calling me antisocial. It was fun to talk music with you."

"Wait a minute," he grabbed her wrist gently, and she turned to face him. "I was just wondering, could I have your number? I'm not trying to be a creep or anything, but it's just awesome to meet someone with such good taste in music."

"Sure," Bella rattled her number off to him as he plugged it into his phone.

"Thanks, see you around?"

"Yeah," Bella's voice was distracted as she looked around the room to find Jasper and Edward. They were nowhere she could immediately see, so she went into the kitchen to look for them. What she found there froze her in her tracks. Alice was sitting on the kitchen counter, her legs wrapped around Jasper's waist. Both of them were fully clothed, thank God, but they were involved in a furious make out session. Neither of them noticed her entrance until she cleared her throat loudly.

"Eh hmmm." The two of them froze in position, their eyes darting to where Bella stood, trying her best not to look. Jasper pulled away quickly, attempting unsuccessfully to straighten out his clothes. The hem of his shirt hung out of his pants at an odd angle, the top button undone exposing the skin on his chest.

"Oh, Bella. Jesus." Jasper stumbled over his words for a moment.

Alice giggled from the counter top, "Hi again."

"Sorry, for interrupting. I was just … I needed… I was wondering … Do you know where Edward is?" Bella wasn't sure what to say. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, chancing the occasional glance upward to make sure the two of them were still there.

"No, I thought he was with you," Jasper answered.

"I haven't seen him in awhile. I was talking to someone else," she admitted.

"Let's go look for him," Alice jumped down off the kitchen counter, not a hair out of place, and made her way through the swinging door to the kitchen, Jasper and Bella not far behind. What they saw made them all stop dead where they stood.

Edward stood in front of the DJ booth, microphone in hand, as the speakers roared to life behind him. It took a moment for Bella to recognize the music that poured out of them, but when Edward brought the mic to his face and started belting out the words, she knew it immediately.

"Don't know why I'm surviving every lonely day, when there's got to be no chance for me. My life would end and it doesn't matter how I cry. My tears of love are a waste of time. If I turn away, am I strong enough to see it through? Go crazy is what I will do. If I can't have you, I don't want nobody baby. If I can't have you, ah, ah. If I can't have you, I don't want nobody baby, if I can't have you ah, ah."

When he got to the chorus, Edward looked directly at her. The song was beautifully off key, and half the words were slurred together, but they were entirely recognizable. Bella's face grew hot as most of the people in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at Edward singing a disco love song in her general direction.

Jasper rushed over, grabbing the microphone from Edward's hand and signaling to Jake to kill the music. The song came to an abrupt halt and was quickly replaced by something she didn't remember the name of. Jake came tearing around the outside of the booth.

"Sorry, Jasper. He said he wanted to sing it. I tried to stop him, but that guy over there insisted." Jake indicated the place where Emmett stood with Rose, the two of them laughing so hard that droplets of beer spilled over the edges of the cans they both held and splattered onto the carpet. Jasper looked pissed.

"It's okay, Jake. Not your fault, but no more karaoke tonight, okay?" Jasper wrapped his arm around Edward to support him.

Edward began to protest, "Hey, I was singing …"

Jasper held up a hand to silence him. "Hold on a minute buddy."

"Got it. He gonna be alright? He's looking a little green around the gills." Jake looked a little concerned.

"I guess. I'll make sure he gets home. You go on back to what you were doing." Jasper guided Edward across the room to where Alice and Bella stood waiting.

"Edward!" Alice cried. "What happened to you? You're drunk!" She spoke to him like Bella would have spoken to one of the teenagers she taught.

"S'ok Ally," Edward replied. "I dint have much to drink, just a cuppa punch or two."

"Try seven," Emmett walked up, clapping Edward on the back.

"Jesus, Emmett," Jasper looked exasperated. "You shouldn't have let him drink anything at all, especially not seven cups of that diabolical punch."

"It's cool man," Emmett replied. "He'll be fine. He just needed to loosen up a little."

"He looks pretty loose now," Rosalie giggled.

Alice looked over at her in disgust, "Will you please shut up and go away?"

Rose stood aghast at Alice's rude speech, and Emmett pulled her hand guiding her away. "Come on Rosie. We've got better places to be anyway." The two of them left the room through the door that Bella had used when she came in from the hallway, Emmett dropping his beer can on the floor next to the door as he exited."

"You alright buddy?" Jasper checked Edward's face as he swayed gently in place.

"Right as rain," Edward grinned. "Feelin' a lil' bit light headed though. I need ta sit down." He plopped onto the floor, leaning back and resting his head on the wall behind him.

"Shit, well I guess I need to get him home before he passes out right there on the floor." Alice sighed. "I had fun tonight Jazz. We should get together again."

Bella interrupted her. "You don't have to leave Alice. I'll take him home."

"You sure?" Alice looked at her warily. "I don't mean to ruin your night too."

"I'm not much of a party person, I guess. Sorry, Jasper. It's a great party and all but..." She began to apologize but was stopped by a smile and a wave of the hand from Jasper.

"It's fine Bella. I get it. You need any help getting him to the car?"

"Let's see if he can walk on his own." Jasper turned to find Edward with his eyes closed, lying against the wall. "Edward, wake up." He shook Edward gently, and Edward opened his eyes slightly.

"What?" he asked groggily.

"Come on, let's go. Bella's gonna take you home." Jasper pulled him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Alice got on Edward's other side and the two of them took him sideways out the door into the hallway. They walked him to the front door and opened it just in time to see a red sportscar tearing out of the driveway and down the street in front of Jasper's house.

"Well, goodbye to you too Rosalie Hale," Jasper spat.

"Hale?" Bella asked. "But that's your last name."

"She's my cousin. Forks is a small town Bella. Most of us are related in one way or another. The Masens moved there when Edward was small, so they're transplants. But the rest of us are all cousins or in-laws or something. Come on let's get him to your truck."

Bella walked ahead and opened the door of the truck for Jasper and Alice. When they reached the car, they pushed and shoved until Edward was propped up against the seat of the truck. The only thing holding him in place was the seatbelt.

"You sure this is okay Bella?" Alice asked her again. "I mean, I can drive him home. It's no problem." She looked reluctantly at Jasper standing next to her.

"No, it's fine really. You two looked like you were having a good time back there. No reason to interrupt that when I can take him home." Bella smiled. "Go on back in." She waved her hands in an attempt to shoo them back into the house. "Go, now. Oh wait a second, who's going to drive his car home?"

"It's not here," Alice replied. "We drove my car over. His is waiting for him at home."

"Oh, ok then. See you guys later." Bella waved at the two of them, and they returned to the house, holding hands.

Bella climbed into the driver's seat and turned to check on Edward before she turned the key in the ignition. The truck roared to life, and she gently guided it into first gear, letting off the clutch slowly. The truck was an old one and rather finicky if you didn't baby it just the right way.

They took off slowly down the street and by the time they made it out to the main road, Edward was awake again. The air rushing through the open window next to him had revived him to a state of semi-consciousness.

"Hi, Bells. Where are we going?" He grinned at her.

"Back to your house, E. I'm going to get you in the bed so you can sleep this one off." She patted his arm.

"Awesome, but I don't think we'll both fit in my bed. It's too small." Bella felt the blood rush to her cheeks for the dozenth time that night.

"No, E. I'm gonna put _you_ in your bed, and I'm going to go home to sleep in mine."

"Oh," he sounded a little disappointed. "Do you know how to get to my place?"

"Not really," Bella realized she had no clue how to get there. She had automatically started driving towards her own house when they left Jasper's neighborhood. "Can you tell me how to get there?"

"S'close to your house, but you turn on Elm Street," he laughed. "Elm Street, ooh Freddy's gonna get me!"

Bella giggled, "Why in the world did you let Emmett give you all that punch?"

"Cuz I wanted to. I was having a good time. Yous sure looked like having good time with that music dude." He looked at her accusingly.

"Whatever, we were just talking about music. You were busy introducing Alice to everyone, so I had to have some way to occupy myself, didn't I?" She wasn't sure why she felt the need to explain to Edward that there was nothing going on between she and Jake, but for some reason it was important for her even if he probably wouldn't remember it in the morning.

Bella drove on in silence for awhile, and she was suspicious that Edward had gone to sleep again. It was just as well, she could wake him when she got to his apartment. After turning on Elm Street, it became obvious that she wasn't going to have any problem finding it. The pavement dead-ended in the only apartment complex on the street.

She drove into the lot, and looked around for Edward's Volvo. She found it parked outside of one of the six buildings that lay in a circle around a central courtyard area. Bella had caught glimpses of a pool as she drove around the area. She pulled her truck alongside his car and reached over to gently shake him awake.

"E, we're here. Wake up." Edward opened his eyes. "Can you walk?"

"Sure," he fumbled with the seat belt buckle for a moment before giving up. He pulled the belt up and slid down into the floor board of the truck, leaving the belt buckled on the seat behind him. Bella laughed and climbed out of the truck, making her way around to Edward's side.

"Come on," she pulled open the truck door, and Edward tumbled out onto the pavement. Bella reached down and helped him rise. "Let's get you inside."

"Kay," Edward hiccupped. "Thanks for the ride."

She laughed, "No problem. I was ready to come home anyway."

"I sorry." He frowned at her.

"Sorry for what?" She began helping him drag himself up the stairs. She knew he lived on the second floor since he often complained about having to lug things up and down the stairs.

"For not hanging out with you more tonight. You just were with that guy all night, and I dint wanna interrupt." He sounded a little more sober for the moment.

He kept on speaking while they climbed, "I just wanted Ally to see Jazz again. She hasn't seen him since he moved outta Forks, like eight years ago. I think she was s'like thirteen or something."

"Well, I think they've caught up just fine," she grinned in the darkness, where Edward couldn't see. They continued climbing the steps until they reached the second floor landing. Two identical doors flanked the staircase.

"Which one is yours?" She looked back and forth.

Edward raised his hand, lazily pointing to the one on the left. "But you can't come in. The place is a mess."

"It's fine okay. I just want to make sure you get in alright." She worried that he wouldn't make it to his bed alone.

"S'fine B. I promise. Scout's honor, I'll be fine." He raised two fingers in a feeble Boy Scout salute. Bella laughed.

"You have a pretty laugh, Bells. I wish you'd laugh more often." He smiled and brought a hand up to her face, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek. She flushed, the contact giving her chills all the way down to her feet.

"E, let me help you get in the house," she began, but was interrupted when Edward leaned in, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. His lips found hers, and Bella felt like liquid fire had been injected into her veins. She draped her arms over his shoulders and returned the kiss with the same urgency she felt coming from him. The two of them stood there locked together for what could have been countless moments, but Edward pulled away suddenly.

"Oh God, E. I'm sorry really." Bella started to apologize, unsure of what she had done to make Edward break their kiss until he leaned over the railing at the edge of the landing, and vomited loudly. Bella walked over and rubbed his back gently. "It's alright; just get it all up." She reached into his hip pocket and pulled his keys out gently.

Unlocking the door and opening it slowly, she revealed what more closely resembled a landfill than an apartment. "Yuck, this place is a mess."

Edward turned around, swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. "Em is a slob. I'm so tired B. Wanna go to bed."

"Which way is your bedroom?" Edward pointed towards one of the doors at the back of the room. "Ok, come on." She helped him stumble across the debris on the floor, opening the door and guiding him towards the bed. She lay him down on it gently. "Bathroom?"

He pointed towards one of the doors in his room, and she opened it to reveal his closet. Laughing, she tried the next one which turned out to be his bath. She pulled one of the washcloths from the cabinet and moistened it at the sink. She returned to find Edward passed out on top of his blue and green plaid comforter.

Bella gently washed his face with the cloth, removing any traces of the episode out on the landing. She grabbed the blanket that lay folded on the foot of the bed, draping it over him. He snored gently, and she couldn't help but lean over and plant a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight, E," she whispered softly. Bella let herself out of the apartment, leaving his keys on the table next to the bed, and climbed back down the stairs to her truck. When she got in, she rested her head on the steering wheel, trying to get rid of a few of the million thoughts that swirled around inside her brain. The kiss had left her dazed and confused.

Before now, she'd only ever considered Edward a friend, but that kiss left her body aching for something more. For the first time, she felt herself wanting something more than her current relationship with him. She hadn't realized that something more could even be a possibility until now.

Bella drove home in a stupor, making the turns automatically, her mind someplace a million miles away. After parking in the drive, she made her way into the town house's front door. Dropping her bag on the table next to the door and kicking her shoes off into the corner. She climbed the stairs like a robot and removed her dress in exchange for a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Bella brushed her teeth and jumped into bed, snuggling down beneath the sheets, but when her eyes closed, all she could see was Edward's face. She fell asleep and dreamt of him.

The next morning, Bella woke with one thought on her mind. She felt a physical need to call Edward to make sure he was okay. She grabbed the phone from its charger next to the bed, dialing his number from memory. It rang a few time before she heard him pick up.

"Hello," he sounded groggy and miserable.

"Hey, E. Sorry to wake you up so early. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You were pretty wasted last night." She felt her heart racing in her chest at the sound of his voice.

"What did I do?"

"Oh nothing, just sang karaoke and vomited in the flower bed in front of your apartment." She couldn't bring herself to tell him the rest if he didn't remember it on his own. He probably hadn't even meant it. People do stupid things when they're drunk.

"Ugh," she heard him groan on the other end of the line. "How'd I get home last night?"

"I drove you. Alice wanted to, but I told her to stay." She admitted.

"Sorry, Bells. I didn't want you to miss the party. You looked like you were having fun." She could hear something in his voice, but she wasn't sure what it was.

"It's fine. I wasn't really having that good a time." She sighed.

"Please tell me I didn't let you in my apartment. This place is a disaster."

"No, E. You didn't," she lied. "I left you at the front door."

She heard him sigh with relief, "That's good. Hey listen, I'm gonna go try to dig up some Tylenol for this headache. I'll call you later. Wanna go get some coffee if I don't die between now and this afternoon."

She faked a laugh, "Sure, E. See you later."

As she hung up the phone, Bella's heart sank in her chest. Too bad she hadn't been drunk last night so she could forget it all as easily as he had. She was just going to have to suck it up and move on. Edward didn't really mean what he had done last night. He was drunk, and it was all a big mistake. Bella climbed out of bed and into the shower to start her Saturday.

A/N: Ok, I hope you loved it. Leave me a review and let me know.


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